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paulnjulie

October 16, 2016

Spending time in Madison is always a treat. We get a free place to park our van in sister Anne’s driveway and we are walking distance to sister Carrie’s home. Everyone goes on with their daily schedule of work and school while Paul and I visit where we can. We continued our running streak with a run to Turvilles Point Conservation Park and back. The park has only 3 miles of wooded trails but the run there and back along the shores of Lake Monona is beautiful. While in Madison, Carrie is in a car accident and although bruised, sore and scared she was able to come home after being checked out of the hospital. She has the week off to recooperate. Paul makes a few dinners for everyone with a risotto that even Inde likes and a variety of pizzas. Dinner out with Anne one evening at Monsoon Siam and dinner at Kabul with Carrie and George are tasty. I have time in my day to explore the Chazen museum of art, shop with Carrie, eat cheap and delicious cart food lunch on the UW campus with Anne, and get a relaxing massage.(first massage since IM Lake Placid) I spend Friday morning riding my bike out to the country.

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The route is online and called the Oregon Route. Scenic farm roads and bike trails and back through the city. My lovely sister Carrie thought Paul and I needed a break from the van one evening so she gave us a gift certificate to the Hyatt downtown Madison. Feeling a bit displaced from the van we ended up just getting some takeout food and watching a movie in the large bed. (the movie was called Youth by Paolo Sorrentino which we recommend) In the morning we do a 2 hour run out on the campus nature trails. The terrain is varied, by the lake and pretty. A highlight is the Eagle Heights community garden.
www.eagleheightsgardens.org/
Shower back at the hotel and then enjoy a delicious breakfast and coffee at Barriques, buy flowers at the Capital farmer’s market before walking back to the van. Good bye Madison & Anne, Pat, Luna, Inde, Carrie, George, and Milo!

Back at my parent’s home mom needed some help out in the garden. We got a lot of weeding and clearing done and mom even started sweating which made her happy.

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Paul helped mom out with a new chromebook to make her more connected and mobile. She seemed to be getting the hang of it and was amazed at the speed. Paul gets as much work as he can done on Ardour before we get ready to move on. Dad gives us some of his famous soup for our journey. A short visit to my high school friend Debbie and her husband Rick. Paul again cooks a fabulous dinner for all. Squash soup, sausage risotto, rosemary parmesan focaccia. Much libations were had. Next, back to Matt’s again to spend a little more time together. Matt is now running strong and he took us on a beautiful 5 mile run in the Kettle Moraine forest-green bush trails. Mom and dad come over for dinner at Matt’s and again chef Paul makes salmon, steak for dad, squash and rutabaga mash, kale and potato wedges. Dad seems pleased. We leave in the evening for Julie’s home (Matt’s girlfriend) and we park overnight in her driveway. In the morning I go for coffee and a short tour of Appleton, WI which looks like it is doing very well. It is the birthplace of Harry Houdini and the local History Museum has an exhibit about him. No time to see this alas. Paul and I head north and do a brief visit with Kathy(my 2nd cousin) and Burt who have a nice home on a lake which resides in the Nicolet National Forest. We camped overnight on the upper peninsula of Michigan at Indian Lake SP in pretty much the same spot as a few years ago. Quiet night, vino, watch a movie and sleep well.